Rail Freight: ECTA
Calculate rail freight emissions with the guidelines of the European Chemical Transportation Association (ECTA), which take into account the fuel used, the cargo, the train length and route efficiency.
Sample requests
Send the first body for a quote before booking. Once the booking is final, send it again with audit set to true.
{
"expand": ["items"],
"items": [{
"audit": false,
"type": "rail_freight",
"external_reference": "test_1",
"distance_in_km": 100,
"weight_in_tonnes": 10,
"train_type": "container_train_intermodal",
"fuel_type": "diesel",
"methodology": "ECTA"
}]
}audit_for is optional
Pass the ID of an auditable entity when you calculate on behalf of that entity. Otherwise, leave it out.
Defaults
When a field is missing, SQUAKE fills it in before calculating.
| Field | Default | Applies when |
|---|---|---|
train_type | average | No train_type is sent |
fuel_type | average | No fuel_type is sent |
Request fields
typestringrequiredrail_freight
methodologystringrequiredECTA
originstringSQUAKE tries to resolve any format. Ideally, use the Post standard for addresses, IATA/ICAO codes for airports (MUC), UN/LOCODE for other locations used in trade and transportation (DEHAM), or latitude and longitude (+40.712,-74.006).
destinationstringSame formats as origin.
distance_in_kmnumberTakes priority over origin and destination. Without it, SQUAKE resolves the distance from them.
weight_in_tonnesnumberCargo weight in tonnes.
train_typeenumaverage, container_train_intermodal, blocktrain_rtc or single_wagon_train_rtc. Defaults to average.
fuel_typeenumelectricity, average or diesel. Defaults to average.
external_referencestringYour identifier for the item, up to 128 characters, so you can match results to requests. SQUAKE doesn't guarantee the order of items.
auditbooleanSet to true to create immutable audit records for finalised calculations. Must be enabled for your account.
POST /v2/calculations in the API referenceSample response
{
"carbon_quantity": 28000,
"carbon_unit": "gram",
"items": [{
"carbon_quantity": 28000,
"carbon_unit": "gram",
"external_reference": "test_1",
"type": "rail_freight",
"methodology": "ECTA",
"distance": 100.0,
"distance_unit": "kilometer"
}]
}Bibliography
- Guidelines for Measuring and Managing CO Emission. ECTA, March 2011. Read the PDF.
- Smart Freight Centre (2025). Global Logistics Emissions Council Framework V3.2.